Paleo Cilantro Lime Salmon Burgers
Fresh salmon, bright citrus, and creamy avocado come together in a burger that genuinely earns its place at the dinner table — no bun required. The trick to patties that actually hold together lies in the two-texture method: part of the salmon gets pulsed in a food processor while the rest is hand-chopped, giving you a cohesive patty with satisfying bite rather than a dense, paste-like disk. Lime zest, fresh ginger, and cilantro punch through every layer, so the flavor is anything but flat. Skipping the bread is effortless here because crisp butter lettuce wraps do a genuinely great job — they add cool crunch and keep everything tidy without feeling like a compromise. The avocado sauce is mashed together in minutes and drapes over the top with just enough richness to balance the bright, acidic notes from the lime. Grain-free eating can sometimes mean sacrificing the fun of handheld meals, but this one brings it all back in a package that feels indulgent and clean at the same time.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the patties
- 1 ½ lb fresh salmon fillet, skin removed, cut into 1-inch chunks
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice (from about 1 lime)
- 1 tsp lime zest
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- 2 green onions (green tops only), thinly sliced
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp coconut oil or avocado oil
For the avocado sauce
- 1 ripe avocado, pitted and peeled
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice (from about 1 lime)
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 2–3 tbsp water, to thin
For serving
- 8 large butter lettuce leaves, for wrapping
- lime wedges, for serving (optional)
- fresh cilantro sprigs, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Make the avocado sauce: combine the avocado, lime juice, cilantro, sea salt, and water in a small bowl and mash with a fork until smooth and spoonable, adding water 1 tbsp at a time until the sauce is thin enough to drizzle. Set aside.
- 2
Place about two-thirds of the salmon chunks in a food processor and pulse 6–8 times until coarsely chopped — the mixture should hold together when pressed but still have visible texture, not a smooth paste. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
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